June 2, 2025 at 10:07 PM EDT
GOP pollster warns 'a great many Trump voters' will feel brunt of cuts in budget bill

The impact of President Donald Trump's so-called "Big Beautiful Bill Act" will be felt acutely in areas that voted overwhelmingly for Trump, according to one Republican pollster. Politico reported on Monday that the administration is now embracing a "stark messaging shift" as it attempts to shepherd the massive legislative package through the U.S. Senate. While the White House has insisted that the hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid (which provides health insurance to low-income and disabled Americans) would only be for "waste, fraud and abuse," administration officials are now notably pivoting to saying that the bill will be focused on "kicking illegal immigrants off of the program and implementing commonsense work requirements."

June 2, 2025 at 9:33 PM EDT
Senator says Trump's 'corruption and thievery' rapidly turning off his base

Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who is now shifting his attention back to Connecticut as he begins his yearly walking tour to listen to constituents' concerns, stated on Sunday that he is getting his GOP colleagues to stand up to President Donald Trump. "If I want to protect the people that I represent, then I've got to be out there making trouble in Republican districts, trying to get my Republican colleagues to stand up to this president's corruption and thievery," he said in an interview with NBC Connecticut Sunday.

June 2, 2025 at 8:38 PM EDT
'Up your game': Columnist says GOP senator broke 'one of the top rules of damage control'

When Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) doubled down on her infamous "we all are going to die" comment on her Instagram account, she made several major mistakes that could prove harmful in next year's election. That's according to the New York Times' Michelle Cottle, who used her Monday column to tear into the Iowa Republican for her viral faux "apology" video. Ernst -- who is running for reelection to a third term in November of 2026 -- sarcastically "apologized" for her remarks at a town hall last week in which she responded to constituents who yelled at her that the GOP's massive proposed cuts to Medicaid would kill people by saying, "we all are going to die."

June 2, 2025 at 7:29 PM EDT
'Striking contrast': Expert says Trump's viral new nickname about more than just economy

Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator at the Financial Times , wrote in an article published Monday that President Donald Trump's new nickname -- "Trump Always Chickens Out" (TACO), a mocking label used by Wall Street investors -- applies not only to his tariff policy but also to his foreign policy. "'Taco' is not just a useful heuristic for investors. It also turns out to be a key to analysing Trump's foreign policy," he wrote.

June 2, 2025 at 6:57 PM EDT
'Lot of concern': GOP senator says voters in her deep-red state worried about Trump's bill

President Donald Trump may have more trouble than expected getting his so-called "big, beautiful bill" through the U.S. Senate despite having a Republican majority to work with. On Monday, CNN correspondent Manu Raju tweeted that Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said that the recent congressional recess was educational for her in that it showed how closely her constituents are following the bill's progression. Capito said that West Virginians had "a lot of concern" about the bill's significant cuts to Medicaid (the state-run health insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans).

June 2, 2025 at 5:41 PM EDT
'Deeply unpopular': Conservative says 'cowardice' of Republicans on Trump is 'deafening'

Political strategist and The Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell said Monday that Republican members of Congress are hearing complaints from small business owners in their districts about the impact of President Donald Trump's economic policies, yet they are doing nothing to challenge those policies. "The cowardice is the sort of deafening thing that you hear, because all of these Republican members of Congress are hearing from their small business constituents that they are supposed to represent, that this is terrible for them," Longwell said during an appearance on MSNBC Monday.

June 2, 2025 at 5:00 PM EDT
'I have to do this': Dem announces run against GOP senator who 'disrespected' constituents

Politico reports Iowa State Rep. J.D. Scholten is taking on U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) after what critics describe as the senator's flippant-sounding "We're all going to die," response to constituents' concerns over Medicaid cuts. Ernst made the remark while fielding catcalls at a Butler, Iowa, town hall event. "I just felt, you know, I have to do this," Scholten told POLITICO on Monday. "Now's the time, and rather than being perfect with everything, I just feel like you got to do it."

June 2, 2025 at 4:42 PM EDT
'Who will tell him?' Senate GOP leader slammed for comment about low-income Americans

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is facing criticism for dismissing concerns about Medicaid cuts by saying, "The best health care is a job." In an interview with Kota Territory last week, Thune said, "There are certain policies that generate growth in the economy. And that ultimately is what you want. A rising tide lifts all the boats."

June 2, 2025 at 4:03 PM EDT
'We are going to put you under arrest': MAGA leader gives ultimatum to pro-Trump senator

The Hill reports MAGA podcaster and former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon called for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), to be "arrested" if he doesn't stop traveling overseas and encouraging Ukraine to defend itself against the ongoing Russian invasion. Bannon, who has praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin's anti-LGBTQ policies and his "anti-woke" agenda in Russia, was also furious at Ukraine's weekend drone attack on Russia's bombing fleet. The strategic attack destroyed 40 aircraft deep inside Russian territory. Bannon said the White House should condemn Ukraine's military response to the invasion and put a collar on Graham's diplomacy of encouragement.

June 2, 2025 at 3:51 PM EDT
Trump's economy has led to 'worst job market for grads in years': analysis

Even though the unemployment rate is low for Americans, it's much higher than usual for new college graduates due to the growing decline of available entry-level jobs. That's according to a new analysis by CNN reporter Matt Egan, who said Monday that there are "concerning signs" for those entering the job market just beneath the headlines. CNN host Boris Sanchez began the segment by asking Egan why "jobs are increasingly out of reach" and why the U.S. is seeing "the worst job market for grads in years" despite the "overall job market looking pretty good."

June 2, 2025 at 11:50 AM EDT
Mike Lindell brutally mocked for threatening to bring pillow to defamation trial

Almost four and one-half months into Donald Trump's second presidency, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is still facing a civil defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems for falsely claiming that their equipment was used to help Democrat Joe Biden steal the United States' 2020 election from Trump -- a claim that was repeatedly debunked by countless recounts. And the far-right MAGA conspiracy theorist is still angry over claims that his pillows are "lumpy" -- so angry that, during an appearance on Steve Bannon's "War Room" vodcast, he threatened to bring one of them to his trial when it gets underway on Monday morning, June 2.

June 2, 2025 at 10:48 AM EDT
America 'being ripped apart': Vietnam vet removes U.S. flag in Trump protest

Vietnam marine Morgan Akin, 84, has taken down his American flag, and he's outspoken about his opposition to the White House in his conservative California community. "He's just tearing the country apart. The whole fabric of the country is just being ripped apart," Akin said of President Donald Trump. "The worst part is the people that are getting hurt - the migrants that came here in earnest."